


Hanako-San, Hanako-San, Let Down Your Hair!

by orphan_account



Category: Rapunzel (Fairy Tale), Tangled (2010), 地縛少年花子くん | Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun | Toilet-bound Hanako-kun (Manga)
Genre: Flynn!Yashiro, Gothel!Yako, Multi, Rapunzel!Hanako, The Hanako-San Rapunzel AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:28:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23959234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: “Hanako-San, Hanako-San, let down your hair!”“I can’t, it’s too short.”
Relationships: Hanako | Yugi Amane/Yashiro Nene, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Comments: 50
Kudos: 79





	1. Prelude

  
_Hello everyone! I am Yashiro Nene, and I am a reformed outlaw currently married to a cute little prince named Hanako-San!_  
  
 _And today, I will tell you the story of how I almost died._

_But don’t worry!_   
  
_For this is actually a very fun story everyone! And the truth is, it isn't even mine! This is the story of a boy named Hanako-San, as you know, and it starts with the sun.._

_Now, listen closely please!_

 _Once upon a time, a single drop of sunlight fell from the heavens. And from this small drop of sun, grew a magic, golden, flower that had the ability to heal the sick and the injured._  
  
_Oh, you see that old woman, over there? You might want to remember her. She's kind of important to my story!_  
  
 _Well, centuries pass and a hop skip and a bump right away there grew a kingdom! The kingdom was ruled by a beloved King and Queen._  
  
 _And the Queen, well she was about to have a baby, Hanako-San, and she got sick, really sick. So sick that she was going to die!_  
  
 _And that's when people usually start to look for a miracle. Or in this case, a magic golden flower._  
  
 _Ahhh, there she is! See? I told you she'd be important._  
  
 _You see instead of sharing the suns gift, this woman, Mother Gothel, hoarded it's healing power and used it to keep herself young for hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years! What a hog!_  
  
 _And all she had to do was sing a special song that went like this:_  
  
 _Flower gleam and glow,_

_let your power shine_

_Make the clock reverse,_

_bring back what once was mine,_

_what once was mine._

_All right, alright... you get the jist right everyone?_  
  
 _She sings she turns young.. oh how I would give to have that power.. w-wait.. I mean creepy right?_  
  
 _Anyway.. The magic of the golden flower, healed the queen and healthy baby boy, a prince was born, with beautiful golden eyes and dark brown hair._  
  
 _That's Hanako-San! Aren’t his eyes just so beautiful? Like the purest of honey... Ah I love them!_  
  
 _To celebrate her birth, the King and Queen launched many flying lanterns into the night sky._  
  
 _For that one moment, everything was perfect... And then, as fast as it began, that moment ended._  
  
 _Why? Because that old hag Gothel broke into the castle and stole Hanako-San, just like that! And she was gone._  
  
_The Kingdom searched and searched, but they could not find the Prince. But deep within the forest, in a hidden tower, Gothel raised Hanako-San as her own, nurturing him and keeping him away from prying eyes._  
  
 _Gothel had found her new magic flower. But this time she was determined to keep it hidden._

_Every night, they would have the same conversation:_

“Why can't I go outside?” The little boy asked, looking up at the woman with wide eyes.  
  
The woman sighed, stroking the boy’s hair. “The outside world is a dangerous place, filled with horrible and selfish people.” She murmured softly to the boy. “You must stay here, where you're safe. Do you understand, flower?”   
  
“Yes Mommy.”  
  
  
_But the walls of that tower, could not hide everything..._

 _Each year on his birthday, the King and Queen released thousands of lanterns into the sky... In hope that one day, their lost Prince would return home.  
_   
_Little did they know that their son had grown up to become a beautiful prince with lovely honied eyes and would capture the heart of the most wanted outlaw at the time... Me!_  
  
  



	2. Just Your Average Morning As A Prisoner

One morning, deep in the forest and in the tall tower on the tippy top floor stood a short boy with dark brown hair and large amber eyes. His round face and chubby cheeks that were still filled out with baby fat from his childhood gave him a boyish look and his plump lips and glossy eyes with long lashes and the everlasting blush on his cheeks gave him a slightly feminine tint. His body was small and lean, smooth and slim, curves in all the right places. Because of his features, the woman who now harbored him took to dressing him in lavender dresses.   
  
The lost prince sighed as he walked around his tower room and opened a cabinet and placed a finger to his chin in mock thought, tilting his head. “Hmm,” he hummed. “I guess Mokke’s not hiding in here...”

The little pink critter munching candy in the cabinet giggled before Hanako-San popped back into the cabinet door’s entrance with a grin on his face. “Gottcha!”  
  
The Mokke groaned a high pitched sound before slowly climbing out of the cabinet and into the prince’s outstretched hand.  
  
“That's twenty two for me!” Hanako sang. “How about twenty three?out of forty five?”  
  
Mokke shook it’s head and continued to much on it’s candy.  
  
“Okay... well then, what do you want to do?”  
  
Hanako shook his head with a small, sad smile as the little pink rabbit pointed out the window, indicating that it wanted to go outside. “Yeah, I don't think so. I like it in here and so do you.”   
  
Mokke pouted and lay flat on the short boy’s palm.  
  
“Oh, come on Mokke! It’s not _that_ bad in there.”   
  
But even as those words left his mouth, Hanako could feel the false less ness in them.  
  
_Am I trying to convince Mokke or myself?  
_   
He shrugged and grabbed a broom from its place against the painted walls of the tower, humming a little tune.  
  
“The usual morning lineup, starting the chores I sweep 'til the floors all clean.” He murmured as he moved along the floors, sweeping and sliding, his lavender dress swaying. “Polish and wax, do laundry and mop and shine up. Sweep again...”

Hanako sighed and let the broom drop from his fingers and grabbed an old book from a shelf. “And then I'll read a book, or maybe two or three~!” He giggled and threw the book away with the lenient flick of his wrist. Bouncing over to another shelf, he grabbed a paint palette and began to sweep the brush along the walls. “I'll add a few new paintings to my gallery... I'll play guitar, and knit, and cook...”

He jumped up and reached his arms into the air, throwing the paints and supplies to the floor, the liquid splattering his dress. “I Wonder when will my life begin~” Hanako chortled as the pink rabbit jumped off his palm and climbed onto his dress with a disapproving squeal.  
  
“You’re right, that _will_ stain..” the prince shrugged and continued with his song. “Then after lunch, it's puzzles, darts and baking... Paper-mache, a bit of ballet and chess~ Pottery and ventriloquy, candle making, then I'll stretch, maybe sketch...” The prince grabbed his dress and swisher it around. “Sew a dress and if I have time to spare.. I'll paint the walls some more, I'm sure there's room somewhere!”  
  
He rushed over to a large mirror and grabbed his eye paints. “And then I'll paint, and paint, and paint, and paint my eyes~ Stuck in the same place I've always been...”

The little prince sighed as he painted around his eyes, outlining his eyelids and darkening his lashes, deflating with every stroke of the brush. “Why does she make me do this?” He huffed, batting his eyelashes at himself before turning to Mokke. “It’s not like it changes my eye color!”   
  
“Want some candy?” Mokke said instead, shoving a tiny sweet into Hanako’s face. “Candy?”   
  
Hanako sighed and opened his mouth, letting the pink rabbit place the sweet onto his tongue. “Thanks, Mokke-Chan..” 

* * *

“This is it...” the prince whispered to himself as he slipped out of his stained dress and into a puffy white blouse and bloomers. “This is a very important day Mokke,” he giggled softly. “I'm finally going to do it.. I’m going to ask her!”

“Hanako, let down your hair!”   
  
The prince rushed over to the large window and called back, “I can’t, it’s too short!”

The woman beneath the window chortled, “Good child. Now lower the rope for me!”   
  
Hanako sighed and left the window, searching for the rope that his mother used to get into the tower. “Where is it..?”   
  
Mokke shrugged, “Want some candy?”   
  
“Not now!”   
  
“Hanako, I’m not getting any younger down here!”

The prince huffed as he pulled the rope from behind his wardrobe and rushed back the the window. “Coming mother!” He called and threw the rope down for the woman to grab. Letting out a soft grunt, he began to pull the rope back, lifting the woman up and into the tower.  
“Hi, welcome home, mother.” He gasped as the woman climbed into his room and put the rope away.

“Oh, Hanako..” the mother sighed with mock pity. “How you manage to do that every single day, without fail, it looks absolutely exhausting, darling..”

 **“** Oh, it's nothing.”  
  
“Then I don't know why it takes so long.” The woman scoffed, eyeing the prince as he deflated, his plump lips forming into a sad little pout before laughing and waving a hand. “Oh, darling. I'm just teasing!”

 **“** All right...so, mother.” Hanako mumbled before looking up at the older woman with large eyes. “As you know tomorrow is a very big day...” 

The woman cut him off and grabbed his shoulders, pulling him over to a mirror. “Hanako, look at that mirror.” She murmured as the short prince pouted. “You know what I see? I see a strong, confident, beautiful young lady... and oh look, you're here too!” She laughed as the boy scowled. “I'm just teasing, stop taking everything so seriously!”

“Okay, so anyways.. mother, I was thinking tomorrow...”

“Flower, mother's feeling a little run down...” the woman interjected with a sigh. “Would you sing for me? Then we'll talk.”

Hanako blinked at the woman before nodding hastily. “Oh!” He gasped. “Of course, mother!”   
_  
_He let the woman grab his chin and look into his eyes as he began to hum fast in his haste to ask her his question. “Flower, gleam and glow.. Let your power shine... Make the clock reverse,” he sped sang, his eyes fluttering closed, “bring back what once was mine... Heal who has been hurt.. Change the fate's design! Save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine!”

“Hanako!”

 **“** So anyways, mother...” the prince said, calming down. “Earlier I asked if tomorrow was a pretty big day and you didn't really respond so I'm just going to tell you...” the short prince jumped up and threw his hands into the air with a smile. “It's my birthday!”

 **“** No, no, no can't be, I distinctly remember.” The woman shook her head. “Your birthday was last year!”

 **“** That's the funny thing about birthdays!” Hanako grinned. “They're kind of an annual thing... Mother, I'm turning eighteen and I wanted to ask, what I really want for this birthday...” he fiddled with his bloomers. “Actually what I want for every birthday...”

 **“** Hanako please, stop with the mumbling.” The woman sighed, interrupting the boy. “You know how I feel about the mumbling. Blah, blah, blah,...blah.. It's very annoying.” Noticing the prince’s downcast face, she smiled at him. “I'm just teasing, you're adorable.. I love you very much, darling!”

 **“** Oh, I want to see the floating lights.”

The woman blinked. “What?” 

Hanako folded his hands in his lap and gave the woman a toothy grin. Oh..” he murmured with a shrug. “Well I was hoping you would take me to see the floating lights!”

 **“** Oh, you mean the stars.”

Hanako shook his head. “That's the thing I've charted stars and they're always constant.” The prince sighed. “But these, they appear every year on my birthday, Mother.. Only on my birthday! And I can't help but feel that they're.. They're meant for me, I need see them Mother. And not just from my window, but in person.. I have to know what they are!” 

The woman gasped, “You want to go outside?” She shook her head and sighed, “Oh.. why Hanako, look at you.. as fragile as a flower. Still a little sapling, just a sprout. You know why we stay up in this tower.”

 **“** I know, but...”

 **“** That's right, to keep you safe, and sound.” The woman nodded. Then she placed a hand over her chest and sighed dramatically. “Guess I always knew this day was coming.”  
  
“Mother..” Hanako tried again, “all I want is to see the floating lights..”

The woman wagged her finger at the prince. “Know that soon you'd want to leave the nest.” She said. “Soon, but not yet..”

 **“** But...” Hanako began only to have the woman place a finger to his lips.

 **“** Shhh.. Trust me pet.. Mother, knows best.” The woman whispered as she began to tell her son what she’d been telling him for the past eighteen years. “Mother knows best.. Listen to your mother, for its a scary world out there.” She motioned out of the window, “Mother knows best... One way or another, something will go wrong, I swear!”   
  
Hanako let out a soft whimper as he curled over himself, the woman’s words biting at him.   
  
“On your own, you won't survive!” The mother gasped as she leaned over him and prodded at him. “Sloppy underdressed, immature, clumsy.. Please, they'll eat you up alive! Gullible, nave, positively grubby... Ditzy and a bit, well, hmm _vague_.” The woman punched one of his thighs, earning a squeal from the prince. “Plus I believe, getting kinda chubby!”  
  
Hanako swatted at her hands, only to have the woman pinch his cheek. “Mother!”  
  
“I'm just saying, 'Cause I wuv you!” The woman sighed softly. “Mother understands, Mother’s here to help you and all I have is one request...” her teasing ceased and she took a deep breath. “Hanako..”

 **“** Yes?” The short boy asked, looking up to face his mother.

The woman grabbed his chin and his face in her hands, frowning down at her _son,_ earning a soft gasp from him. _“_ Don't ever ask to leave this tower again.”

The little prince sighed in defeat as the woman held his face. “Yes, Mother.” He murmured.

 **“** I love you very much, dear.

 **“** I love you more.”

“I love you most... Don't forget it, you'll regret it!” The woman sighed, pecking the prince’s cheek before turning on her heel and walking down the tower’s winding stairs. “Mother Knows best Hana-Chan.. always remember that.. I'll see you in a bit my golden flower.”

 **“** I'll be here.” Hanako murmured.  
  
This was just one of the usual mornings here at the tower as a prisoner...


	3. The Charming Outlaw

“No, no, no!” A white haired female cried as she clutched a wrinkled piece of parchment to her chest. “This is bad, this is very, very bad!”  
  
“What is?” Said a blonde male, staring at her with blue eyes.  
  
The girl showed him the parchment. “They just can't get my ankles right!”

 **“** That’s the least of our worries right now, Yashiro!” The blonde hissed exasperated, throwing his hands into the air.

 **“** Well it's easy for you to say,” the girl wailed stomping her foot and crumpling up the poster. “You guys look amazing!” Sighing as the two males glared at her, Yashiro hung her head and extended her hands to them. “All right, okay..” she mumbled. “Give me a boost and I'll pull you up.”

The blonde held out a hand and made a grabbing motion with his fingers. “Give us the satchel first.”

Yashiro blinked at him in shock and slapped a hand to her chest, her mouth agape. “What? I just— I can't believe, that after all we've been together, Kou-Kun..” the girl whined. “That you don't trust me!”   
  
Kou sighed and let the girl climb up over him. “Okay, okay.. just don’t cry Yashiro..” he mumbled helping the girl over the wall. As he got her situated, he held up a hand. “Now help us up!”

Yashiro closed her eyes and turned away from the blonde. “I’m sorry that I have to do this,” she whispered, “but my hands are full.”   
  
The girl turned on her heel and ran away, leaving the blonde and his partner staring after her with wide eyes.   
  
“What? _Yashiro_!”

“Retrieve that satchel with any force!” A guard cried from behind Yashiro.   
**  
**The girl gasped and dashed down the forest paths, running and dodging the soldier on horseback. “I don’t want to be caught!” She ran and ran until she cane to a tower, which happened to harbor the lost prince. “If I get up there, I’ll be safe!”

 **“** Alone at last..” Yashiro sighed as the finally made it up the tower and climbed inside through the open gap. But before she could take any more steps, pressure slammed into her skull and she fell to the ground, loosing consciousness.

Hanako stepped out of the shadows, a frying pan clutched in his hands as he stared down and studied Yashiro with wide eyes, fearful, before pulling her into the closet behind him.

* * *

  
Yashiro awoke and blinked tiredly, “H-huh?” She gasped, darkness surrounding her, “where am I?! Let me out!”   
  
“Okay, okay!” A voice from outside the closet huffed. “Just be quiet!”   
  
Yashiro whimpered as tears welled up in her eyes. _A boy’s voice?_ She flinched back as the door swung open and she was pulled out by her arms.   
  
“Wh-what’s going on?” She squealed as she was shoved into an armchair and tied to it. “What’re you doing to me?!”

 **“** Okay...”

 **“** AHH! Is this barbed wire?!”

Hanako smirked slightly at the girl in the chair. “Struggling, struggling is pointless.” he murmured softly, his golden eyes narrowing. “I know why you're here and I'm not afraid of you.”

Yashiro blinked up at the boy in front of her. _He’s wearing.. a dress?_   
  
She tilted her head at him. “What?” 

**“** Look,” the boy in the lavender dress sighed, “who are you and how did you find me?”

Yashiro gaped at him. “Huh?”

So the boy repeated, “Who are you and how did you find me?”

Yashiro chuckled nervously and cleared her throat. “I swear that I really don’t know who you are!” She wailed. “I didn’t come to find you! I was running away from bad people, but may I just say,” she began to ramble, “How're you doing? I’m Yashiro Nene, but you can call me Nene-Chan! What’s your name?”

Hanako blinked at the girl. “Alright then.” He sighed. “Who else knows my location, Nene-Chan?”

 **“** All right, purple dress.”.

 **“** Hanako.”

Yashiro sighed. “Okay, _Hanako,_ here's the thing... I was in a situation, running through the forest so I came across your tower and...” the girl gasped and began to look around wildly. “Oh no! Where’s my satchel?!”

Hanako smirked widely at the girl flailing in the chair. “I hid it,” he sang crossing his arms over his chest, “somewhere you'll never find it~”

Yashiro’s eyes landed on a large clay pot and she rolled her eyes. “It's in there, isn't it?” She winced as the boy slammed her with the pan again and pouted at him. “Ahh, would you stop that?!”

Hanako huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. “Now it's hidden where you'll never find it.” He announced before placing down the pan on the ground and walking over to Yashiro, settling on the arm of the chair. “So, what do you want me?”

Yashiro blinked. “What?

 **“** Kidnap me?”   
  
“Huh?!”   
  
“Sell me?” Hanako simpered as he placed his hand over his mouth and gasped, “Or perhaps you want to do dirty things with me?”

 **“** No!” Yashiro cried. “Listen, the only thing I want to do is to _not_ be hit with your frying pan! Or end up in prison!”

Hanako blinked at her. “Wait,” he mumbled, “you don't want me?”

 **“** Why on earth would I want you? I didn’t even know you existed!” The girl yelped. Then she heaved a sigh and tried to plead with the boy. “Look, Hanako-San, I was being chased, I saw a tower and I climbed it to get away, end of story.”

The short boy studied her with a skeptical gaze. “You're telling the truth?”

_“Yes!”_

Hanako hummed before turning to Mokke, who had climbed up his dress and onto his shoulder, with a grin. “Hmmm,” he hummed loudly, “I know.. but she’s someone that can take me! I think that she's telling the truth...” The boy sighed as the pink rabbit squealed. “Nothing, I think.. but what choice do I have?”   
He turned back to Yashiro. “Uh, okay Nene-Chan.. I'm prepared to offer you a deal!”

 **“** A Deal, Hanako-San?”

The short boy nodded before grabbing Yashiro’s arm and pulling her up from the chair and over to a wall. “Look this way.” Hanako pointed at the painting he’d made earlier. “Do you know what these are?”

Yashiro tilted her head as she gazed at the pairing. “You mean the lantern thing they do for the prince?” She asked Hanako.

 **“** Lanterns, I knew they weren't stars!” Hanako huffed before nodding and confirming Yashiro’s words. “Yeah.. Well, tomorrow evening they will light the night sky with these lanterns.” He told her, “You will act as my guide and will take me to these lanterns before returning me home safely. Then, and only then will I return your satchel to you.” He held out a hand for the girl to shake. “Have we got a deal?”

Yashiro shook her head. “Yeah, no..” she mumbled, waving her hands at Hanako’s sad look. “I-it’s not why you think!”  
  
She hung her head and averted her gaze. “It’s just that the kingdom and I aren't exactly the best of friends at the moment, so I can’t really take you anywhere.”

Hanako sighed and ignored the girl, instead he placed his hands on her shoulders. “Something brought you here, Nene-Chan,” he said with a grin. “Call it what you will.. fate, destiny, god’s will..”

 **“** A horse.”

Hanako ignored her deadpan. “So I have made the decision to trust you!”

“Okay..”

Hanako sighed. “But trust me when I tell you this,” he whispered, leaning close to her ear with a smirk, “you can tear this tower apart brick by brick, but without my help you will never find your precious satchel.”

Yashiro gulped, her face flushing. “L-let me just get this straight...” she stammered. “I take you to see the lanterns, then I bring you back here and you'll give me back my satchel?”

“That’s right~!”

The outlaw sighed and gave in. “Alright,” she mumbled, “I’ll help you out, Hanako-San.”   
  
Hanako jumped up for joy, his dress flowing, flashing his legs ever so slightly, causing Yashiro to flush even harder. “Yay!”   
  
“But!” Yashiro coughed.   
  
Hanako blinked up at her with his large golden eyes, “But?”   
  
“You promise to give me my satchel back after I take you to see the lanterns.”   
  
“I promise!” Hanako vowed with a grin and a salute. “And a promise is something that I’ll never break!”   
  
Yashiro sighed again. She was going to regret this, she knew.. but she had to, for the satchel! She turned to Hanako, only to find the skirt of his dress hiked up over his legs and let out a yelp, rushing over to him and pulling it down. “First pull it down!”   
  
Hanako giggled. “Thanks Nene-Chan~” he simpered. “Didn’t notice.”   
  
The outlaw huffed as she finished readjusting the boy’s skirt and pulled away. “Sure you didn’t.”   
  
“Oh, and Nene-Chan?”   
  
“Hmm?”   
  
Hanako flushed and pointed at her legs. “You have some fat ankles...”


	4. I Can Do It, I Can’t Do It!

  
“Look at the world so close,” Hanako cried as Yashiro helped him down from the tower and jumped into the grass. “And I'm half way to it! Look at it all,”  
  
Yashiro rolled her eyes and grabbed Hanako’s hand, pulling him across the grassy path.  
  
Hanako looked around, his large eyes glistening happily. “So big, do I even dare?” He squealed rushing around the grassy lawn and jumping up and down. “I just have to do it... but, should I?”  
  
The short boy clenched his fists and nodded smugly. “No.” He gasped. “Here I go... Just smell the grass and the dirt.” He knelt down and buried his face in the ground, taking a big whiff of the greenery’s essence. With a large smile, Hanako fell onto his back with his arms spread out. “Just like I dreamed they'd be!” He sighed as Yashiro stood watching him with a smile on her lips.  
  
“Just feel that summer breeze!” Hanako announced. “The way it's calling me! For like the first time ever, I'm completely free! I could go running, racing,” He began to ramble as he nuzzled into the bright green grass, “dancing and chasing, leaping and bounding with my hair flying, heart pounding and splashing and reeling!”   
  
He sat up and looked up at the female outlaw, his cheeks flushed and hair messy. “And finally feeling, now is when my life begins!”   
  


* * *

**  
  
** “I can't believe I did this.” Hanako mumbled as he hugged his knees to his chest, sitting behind a large boulder. “I can't believe I did this, I can’t believe I _did this!”  
_   
Yashiro approached him and knelt beside him, placing her hand on his shoulder gently. “What’s wrong, Hanako-San?” She asked softly. “Isn’t this what you wanted?”  
  
Hanako looked up at the white haired girl and nodded. “This _is_ what I want..” he mumbled as the girl hugged him. “It’s just that.. Mother will be so furious..” 

Yashiro shrugged and stroked his hair. “That's okay,” she reassured the shorter boy, “what she doesn't know won't hurt her right?”  
  
  
Hanako beamed up at the girl, earning a soft giggle from her before leaping up from the floor and jumping up happily.   
  
“You’re right!” He giggled as he ran towards a little pond and jumping in with his feet, splashing around. “This is so fun!”   
  


* * *

  
  
“I am a horrible person, I'm going back..” I can’t do this!” Hanako wailed. “I am a despicable human being!”   
  
Yashiro sighed. _Here we go again..._ and sure enough, a few moments later, the little prince was back up and bouncing around, his face flushed and eyes watering.  
  
“Best day, ever!” Hanako yelled, sobbing. “I’m having s-so much fun!”

Yashiro cleared her throat. “You know,” she mumbled as Hanako threw himself at her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I can't help but notice that you seem a little at war with yourself here.”

Hanako looked up at her with those large eyes of his. “Really?” He mumbled, his lower lip trembling.

Yashiro nodded. “The whole day!” She answered, cupping his face in her hands, ignoring the whine of protest from the boy. “Bits and pieces of it! Sort of protective mother, forbidden road trip... This is serious stuff, Hanako-San!” The outlaw exclaimed before poking the prince’s cheek. “But let me ease your conscience Hanako-San.” Yashiro began to thumb his bottom lip gently, marveling at how soft it was. “This is part of growing up, a little rebellion, a little adventure... That's normal.”

Hanako blinked up at her, his lips parted as Yashiro continued to thumb his lower lip. “You think?”

Yashiro nodded. “I don’t think, Hanako-San, I know.” She murmured, hugging the shorter adolescent. “You're over thinking, you’re stressing way too much.”   
  
“B-but—!”  
  
“Did your mother deserve it?” Yashiro continued. “Will this break her heart and crush her soul?”  
  
Hanako whimpered, “But I...”  
  
“Well of course, but you just got to do it, Hanako-San!”

“Break her heart?” Hanako mumbled.

“It can,” Yashiro whispered.

“Crush her soul?”

“Like a grape.”

 **  
** Hanako sighed as Yashiro removes her thumb from his lower lip and let him go. “She would be heart broken, you're right...” he mumbled.

Yashiro groaned exasperated. “Likely.. all right, oh no.” She wailed.  
  
Hanako looked at her, his eyes shining with concern. “Nene-Chan?”  
  
“All right.. I can't believe I'm saying this but,” The outlaw sighed. “I'm letting you out of the deal, Hanako-San!”

“Well...”

 **  
** “That's right!” Yashiro grumped. “But don't make me.” She grabbed the boy by the arms and began to pull him back to the tower. “Let's just turn around, get you and your frog home and then I get back my satchel.”   
  
Hanako wrinkled his nose as the girl continued.   
  
  
“You get back a mother daughter relationship based on mutual trust and we’ll part ways as unlikely friends!” 

Hanako dug his heels into the ground, stumbling Yashiro.   
  
  
The girl frowned. “Hey!” She pouted as the boy crossed his arms over his chest. “What was that for?!”   
  
“I am seeing those lanterns!” Hanako cried stomping his foot. “And you will take me! As you promised!” 

“Oh, come on!” Yashiro groaned. “What is it going to take to get my satchel back?”

Hanako held up his pan, shutting the girl up, threatening her silently. “I will use this,” he hissed before the trees behind him rustled and he let out a squeal, jumping into Yashiro’s arms. “What was that?! Thugs?! Ruffians?! _Savages?!”_

Yashiro patted his head. “Stay calm,” she chortled, “it can probably smell fear.” 

Hanako blushed and let go of the girl. “Oh, sorry..” he mumbled fidgeting with the skirt of his dress. “Im just a little bit nervous..” 

Yashiro smiled at him and shrugged, “Probably be best if we avoid ruffians and thugs though.”   
  
“Yeah, that's probably best.”   
  
Yashiro sighed before an idea popped into her mind. She grabbed Hanako’s hands and shook his slightly. “Hey, Hanako-San are you hungry?” She squealed. “I know a great place for lunch.”   
  
“I am..” Hanako mumbled sheepishly, looking up at Yashiro. “But.. Where?” 

Yashiro chuckled before pulling him down the forest. “Oh don't you worry.” She said with a grin. “You'll know it when you smell it!”   
  
Hanako bit his lip as his stomach growled, his face flushing even darker as Yashiro giggled at him. “If you say so..” 

“Trust me on this, Hanako-San!” Yashiro exclaimed as they trudged through the forest, further and further away from the tower.


End file.
